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PEOPLE Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, represents America’s cultural melting pot1 in a way that no previous candidate has. Vice-president to Joe Biden since 2021, Harris’ moment came following his announcement that he would not be seeking2 a second term. In that first whirlwind3 week, just four months from election day, Harris achieved an all-time record of $81million of funding4 in any 24-hour period. Biden’s endorsement5 of Harris was quickly followed by that of Hillary and Bill Clinton and Barack and Michelle Obama, dramatically reshaping6 an election in which many US voters were worried about the options. With Biden approaching eighty-two, and Trump seventy-eight, it seemed time for a new generation to step in7 and bring unity LOTUS FOR POTUS Born on 20 October…

When the young Isambard Kingdom Brunel stopped growing, he was just 1.52 metres tall. He would prove, however, to be a giant of civil and mechanical engineering who would change the physical landscape and culture of Britain forever. Brunel was born in Portsmouth, England, on 9 April 1806, to an English mother and French father. His father, Marc Brunel, was also an engineer, and was determined that his son should follow in his footsteps — aged just eight, Isambard was already studying Euclidian geometry. TUNNEL UNDER THE THAMES In 1825 Isambard began his career assisting his father in designing and constructing the four-hundred-metre Thames Tunnel, a massive project that took nearly two decades to complete. It was dangerous work, so the two invented a tunnelling shield1 to protect the workers…

INTERVIEW CULTURE Much of what we think we know about the Vikings comes from secondary sources. For this reason, we may see them as violent, thuggish1 Norsemen2 with horned helmets3, intent on4 destruction. This image is perpetrated in popular culture — but how accurate is it? To find out, Speak Up met with Neil Price, an English professor of archaeology at Uppsala University in Sweden. Price is one of the world’s leading experts on Viking history. He has been studying the Vikings for more than thirty years, and has written seven books about Vikings. His latest work, The Children of Ash5 & Elm6 – A History of the Vikings was published in 2020. We began by asking him about the enigmatic title of his book. Neil Price (English accent): Most works about…

PLACES EXERCISES IN Work It Out! It’s leaf-peeping1 season! As the days get shorter, nature puts on a spectacular show in many parts of the United States, drawing thousands of admirers to the country’s national parks. The leaves on the trees begin to change colour, from green to red, orange and gold. All across the northern states, the forests put on a magnificent display2 of fiery3 hues4. DECIDUOUS TREES Not all trees change colour, as some are evergreen5. These trees are always green, but lose their leaves at different times of the year. Deciduous6 trees lose their leaves in the fall to conserve energy. Common species in the US include oak7, birch8 and beech9. These trees have broad leaves that put the different shades on display before they drop off and…

DIALOGUES Hey, man, good to see you! You, too, old chap! ‘Old chap’? You been watching that British TV series again, you anglophile? Bloody hell, stop giving me grief! All right, all right. So, what’s new1? Well, remember that girl I fancied? Yeah, what about her? I asked her out and she said yes. I was gobsmacked! What, she hit you in the face? No, you cheeky sod, you know what I mean. Too right, gov’nor! Stop taking the piss, you twit. Oh, come on, you’re asking for it. So, when are you going out? In a fortnight. What’s the video game got to do with it? Nothing, we’re meeting in two weeks’ time. Well, just say so, then. Anyway, I’m well chuffed. But I must dash. See you soon!…

ARTICOLI PER LIVELLI Tutti i nostri articoli hanno un codice di colore che indica il livello di difficoltà dell’inglese in base al Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A2 PRE-INTERMEDIATE B1 LOWER INTERMEDIATE B2 UPPER INTERMEDIATE C1 ADVANCED C2 PROFICIENCY GLOSSARIO In ogni articolo troverai le parole più rilevanti affiancate da un numero del colore corrispondente al livello di difficoltà, oltre alla traduzione nel glossario correlato. Gin and tonic is arguably1 Britain’s favourite drink GLOSSARY 1 arguably: probabilmente 2 to skyrocket: andare alle stelle EXPLAINS Le frasi evidenziate in giallo sono quelle che hanno bisogno di approfondimenti, come nel caso di riferimenti storici o culturali, frasi fatte, proverbi o espressioni di slang. Troverai la spiegazione alla fine dell’articolo. SPEAK UP IN CLASS Ogni mese su Speak Up troverai anche degli esercizi pensati per gli…

Fifty years ago, The Texas Chainsaw1 Massacre, one of the most influential films in Hollywood history, hit cinema screens2, shocking people around the world and influencing the genre for decades to come. Even the slasher film poster’s blood-dripping3 message was designed to disturb: “Who will survive and what will be left of them?” TRESPASSERS WILL BE EATEN The film’s plot was simple: a group of sadistic, grave-robbing4 cannibals torture, kill and eat trespassers5. To add a little flesh6 to these bones: the film is described on the website Rotten Tomatoes as being about a group of hippies who travel to an old farmhouse, where they discover crazed, murderous outcasts7 living next door. The group is then attacked one by one by a man in a mask made of human skin —…

SPONSORED CONTENT For over twenty-five years, Trinity ViaggiStudio has helped countless1 English-language students boost their skills and access unique cultural experiences abroad2. Founded in 1998, Trinity initially offered two-week summer study holidays with accommodation and catered3 mainly to students aged eleven to eighteen. Over time and in line with the evolving needs of students Trinity broadened4 its offer, developing a range of dynamic programmes of different durations: from one week study trips, to customised5 courses aimed at6 younger children or senior students. Trinity’s speciality are summer stays and the academy works with a network of prestigious colleges across the English-speaking world. It also offers academic-year programmes, particularly in the United States. Interested students can choose their destination and Trinity arranges7 for them to be teamed up8 with local host families9.…

The progression of fall foliage is impossible to predict with accuracy1. To catch the leaves at the peak of their colour, the weather conditions need to be right. Rain will leave the leaves wet and soggy2, while strong wind can make them fall sooner than expected. Mid-October is generally peak time to view the fall colours, and some places are good to visit no matter the time of year. Here are some of the best places to admire the autumn colours. 1. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia) This long and narrow park runs along the Blue Ridge Mountains, 120km from Washington. It is famous for its autumn colours, when the rolling hills3 are covered in crimson4 maple5 leaves. Visitors can drive or hike6 along a network of trails7, which include a section…

EVERCISES IN Work It Out! SCAN, READ & LISTEN 13 PROFICIENCY C2 GLOSSARY 1 to sweat: sudare 2 to prickle: formicolare 3 to churn: agitarsi 4 almond-shaped: a forma di mandorla 5 bundle: fascio 6 to trigger: innescare 7 fight-or-flight: attacco o fuga 8 to boost: promuovere, aumentare 9 to divert: deviare 10 blood vessels: vasi sanguigni 11 to spike: impennarsi 12 outermost layer: strato esterno 13 periaqueductal grey: sostanza grigia periacqueduttale 14 to kickstart: dare il via a 15 ingrained: radicate 16 to go into hyperdrive: entrare in ipervelocità 17 to surge: aumentare vertiginosamente 18 realms: campi, ambiti 19 to draft up: abbozzare 20 worst-case scenarios: scenari peggiori 21 to cope: superare 22 to get a grip: controllarsi, tranquillizzarsi 23 to seek out: cercare 24 brain-munching: divoratori di cervelli 25 chainsaw-wielding: dotati di motosega 26 jump scare: spavento da far saltare 27 unease: agitazione, ansia 28 sweet spot: punto di equilibrio 29 tame: mite, mansueto 30 rush: impeto,…

EXERCISES IN Work It Out! SCAN, READ & LISTEN 16 UPPER INTERMEDIATE B2 GLOSSARY 1 remarkable: straordinaria 2 wise: saggio 3 mesmerising: ipnotico, magnetico 4 to arrange: organizzare 5 skilled: abile, esperto 6 trust: fiducia 7 heir: erede 8 archbishop: arcivescovo 9 to attend: accompagnare 10 to learn: apprendere 11 accuracy: accuratezza, precisione 12 turmoil: tumulto, subbuglio 13 beliefs: credenze 14 mindset: mentalità Wolf Hall is the first part of Hilary Mantel’s remarkable1 trilogy of historical novels exploring the turbulent life and times of Thomas Cromwell, chief minister to King Henry VIII. Mantel spent five years researching the Tudor period to produce this emotive, wise2 and mesmerising3 tale that won the Booker Prize in 2009. A FIGHT HE CAN WIN The book opens in the year 1500 with young Thomas Cromwell being beaten by his drunken father. It then jumps forward twenty-seven years…

www.speakup.it SPEAK UP PIÙ COMODO Il nuovo sito web di Speak presenta strumenti e risorse interattive per creare un’esperienza utente coinvolgente e dinamica. Le tecnologie all’avanguardia che abbiamo applicato e la moderna interfaccia permetteranno di esplorare nuovi modi divertenti per migliorare e praticare l’inglese con maggiore comodità. Scopri subito il nuovo sito e inizia esplorare la vasta gamma di articoli e risorse! TEST DI LIVELLO Verifica qual è il tuo livello di inglese con il nostro test gratuito e scopri i tuoi progressi con i nostri articoli classificati per difficoltà. ESERCIZI INTERATTIVI Leggi e ascolta gli articoli e controlla i tuoi progressi con l’inglese grazie ai nostri test interattivi. Super comodo! PRACTICAL ENGLISH Un ampio catalogo di lezioni di grammatica, consigli, e materiale scaricabile per imparare quando e dove vuoi.…

New York art rock band Talking Heads’ signature song Psycho Killer is a bilingual look inside the deranged1 mind of an assassin with multiple personalities. Taken from their 1977 debut album “Talking Heads: 77”, it was one of singer David Byrne’s first attempts at song writing, and was inspired by hard rock singer Alice Cooper and “bad guys in movies.” This is most evident in the chorus2’s refrain3 of “Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, fa”, an apparent reference to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror movie Psycho, where protagonist Norman Bates stutters4 over the word ‘falsity’. The opening verse is a jittery5 stream of consciousness6 from a crazed serial killer with the later use of French suggesting he suffers from Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. The bridge, written by bassist Tina Weymouth (whose mother was from Brittany),…

CULTURE In June 793, Norse1 raiders2 attacked the isolated monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, located on a tidal island3 off the northeast coast4 of England. They stole books and treasures and murdered the monks who lived there. From these violent beginnings, the invaders gradually became part of British civilisation: the Viking Age had begun. Today, almost a thousand years after their rule5 in Britain ended, the Vikings remain part of popular culture. They feature in the literary and filmic landscape of Lord of the Rings and in TV series such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom. PIRATES The name ‘Vikings’ loosely6 translates as ‘pirates’ in Old Norse. But although it is used today to describe the Scandinavian people of a specific period of history, it would not have been recognised at the…

PEOPLE Senator J. D. Vance of Ohio, the newly-announced running mate1 to former2 President Donald Trump, has gone on a rapid journey over the past eight years from bestselling author and outspoken3 Trump critic to one of Trump’s staunchest4 defenders and, now, his would-be5 second-in-command. Before running for office6, Vance, forty, was known as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, a bestselling memoir recounting his upbringing7 in a poor family that also served as a sort of sociological examination of white working-class Americans. The book was published the summer before Trump’s election in 2016, and many readers looked to it after his victory as a sort of guide to understanding Trump’s support among white working-class communities. Vance harshly8 denounced Trump during his 2016 campaign. But by 2022, he had embraced Trump,…

PLACES EXERCISES IN Work It Out! Known as the land of infinite variety, KSouth Dakota has plenty1 to offer the adventurous traveller, from vast flatlands2 to famous monuments to quirky3 attractions that celebrate the culture of the Wild West. This landlocked4 state, in the country’s North Central region, is part of the Great Plains: a vast expanse of flatlands with prairie, steppe, fields of corn and wheat5 and grassland6. However, it also has thousands of miles of shoreline around lakes, too. And, at 7,244-feet, Black Elk7 Peak is the highest natural point in the Midwestern United States. HUGE PARKS The state’s highest concentration of famous attractions is in its western region, which is where you will find its biggest national park: Badlands National Park. Colourful, dramatic and surreal8, this lunar…

EXERCISES IN Work It Out! SCAN, READ & LISTEN 14 UPPER INTERMEDIATE B2 GLOSSARY 1 to complain: lamentarsi 2 the late 2010s: alla fine del decennio 2010 3 to notice: notare 4 trend: moda, tendenza 5 in time: con il tempo 6 to grow out of: essere grande per 7 to handle: gestire 8 awkward: scomodo 9 to alienate yourself: estraniarsi 10 anger: rabbia 11 to soften: attenuare 12 fortnight: quindici giorni 13 therefore: perciò, quindi 14 to fall out of usage: cadere in disuso 15 to argue: argomentare 16 to engage in conversation: intraprendere una conversazione 17 mischievous: malizioso 18 playful: giocoso, scherzoso 19 to toast: brindare 20 ginger-haired wizard: mago dai capelli rossi 21 utterly: totalmente 22 astonished: stupito, meravigliato 23 sick: figo 24 penniless: al verde, senza soldi 25 broke: in bancarotta For years, British linguists have been complaining1 about Americanisms invading British English. But now the opposite is also occurring,…

The Queen looked at all the paintings of her with a sense of dissatisfaction. None of them fully captured her beauty. She was certain, however, that Pavlo would succeed where all the other artists had failed. Pavlo was the best sculptor in the kingdom, and today he was going to cast1 her face and body to produce a sculpture that would capture her beauty in all of its magnificence. Someone entered the studio. It was Lutan, her most loyal servant. “My most esteemed Queen,” Lutan said, with a deep bow2. “It pains3 me to disturb you. However, the military guards insist that I inform you that the rebels are planning a revolt. We beg4 you to leave the castle immediately and be escorted to a secure and secret refuge.” “Absolutely…

The expression “Not for all the tea in China” means that you would not accept something at any price. This could be either because it means so much to you: “I would not sell my car for all the tea in China!” or that it means so little: “I wouldn’t take that job for all the tea in China!” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the idiom is of Australian origin and was widely used by the 19th century, when the country was a British colony. At the time, China was well-known as a producer and exporter of tea in huge quantities. Chinese tea culture, dating back to the 1st century, proved hugely influential in Japan and Korea, and different versions of tea culture in the form of tea cultivation,…